Scales and Tales

...Or, alternatively, "The Liar and the Auror." Both titles are present in Trismegistus's (lebateleur's) journal, although "Lion" appears only on Part One. At any rate, this is a fascinating story that I swore I had recced already, only to find myself proven wrong with a quick search through my Memories. Hmph. Must be going batty in my old age, to overlook posting a story which develops such sterling and smooth interactions, and which contains such life-like dialogue. In short, Harry Potter appears one day in the life of one Severus Snape--a life now a continent away, where he's been living under a different name. Auror Potter is, he says, there to investigate Snape--an investigation which will take place for an undetermined time, under Snape's own roof. Any attempt to flee will lead to arrest, so Snape has no choice--Potter becomes his unwelcome houseguest. Slowly, however, that "unwelcome," and indeed the entire relationship, changes... This is such a fascinating and beautiful story because of how slowly those changes unfold, and because the emotions involved make such a subtle and powerful transformation that is nonetheless crystal clear.

You can find the story at:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

And don't forget the bonus clip: "The Liar and the Auror" Outtake, which is a definite NC-17!

All the parts may also be found in the author's Memories, as well. (Note--the outtake isn't listed by name, but it's there as "Holy Harry Potter Porn, Batman!")

DementorDelta has done it again; were I truly wise, I would set up a system to automatically rec everything she writes as it comes out. She's brilliant. The Dreaming Spires is only the latest example; Severus Snape's new lab assistant sets up a mystery that sucks one in, wanting to know if, and why, and how. Her Harry and Severus have a fascinating interaction, made all the more intriguing by the plot device that frames their interactions.

Whatever happened to the basilisk, anyway? We know Harry killed it, and that presumably the Chamber was sealed up again after the grand hurrahs--but no mention is made at all of a fifty-foot-long serpentine corpse. Presumably it's still down there, and the Chamber must be well-sealed indeed if Eau de Rotting Snake isn't mentioned in any of the following books. "Finder's Fee" is the first fic I've ever seen which even considers the question of 'what became of the basilisk'--and does it so well that it makes me question why I never thought to ask. After all, surely basilisks are useful in Potions...and just as surely they're difficult to obtain. And Hogwarts has one cheerfully rotting beneath its floors which no one has bothered to dispose of or claim...until Harry lets slip to Snape what the monster in the Chamber was. "Finder's Fee" Not many authors could carry off a seduction between two characters in the same room as a giant rotting serpent, but GatewayGirl manages just fine--although this is one of those fics wherein Harry has an unexplained crush on Snape, the other elements of the story are strong, original, and well-written, from Snape's dreams of profit to Harry's indignation--and the sex is lovely, interspersed with humour.

"New Assignment" is only a hundred words long, yet it manages to spring a wonderful suprise upon the reader with clever use of what words it has. I daren't say more, except that it's HP/SS and was written by florahart.

Yes, I've read A Wizard Song. Actually, I requested this journal the day it came out. I recommend those who haven't yet read it skip this entry, as it will definitely contain spoilers.


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Wow. A Wizard Song was awesome. I read it in one sitting, spanning from 9:43 PM to 4:45 AM, for a total allowance of 7 hours, 2 minutes. The predominant word in my mind was "wow," and on so many levels.

First, I am wowed by the effort Telanu has put into this: AWS has been "in the process" for a good year and a half. That is an astounding amount of effort on the part of not only the writer, but also her betas. That kind of determination and effort are rare, and totally beyond me, and I stand in awe.

Second, the tone of AWS was thrilling. Much deeper, and quite possibly darker, than the four stories before it, AWS deals with the ramifications of an action taken, rather than the potential of that action. Both Severus and Harry have deliberately decided to cross a line, and now the necessary accompanying actions have been set in place: Harry must lie to his friends, his family, his other teachers, and the Headmaster himself. Those lies have consequences, sometimes near-deadly ones, and Harry must face the fact that his choice has brought about the present state of affairs.

Consequences and choices play a major part in AWS. Harry finally takes the Somniesperus potion, and the results leave the reader wondering exactly how much of Harry's desires and actions are his own. Twice he faces the power to determine whether someone lives or dies, and the differences between the situations are chilling-- Harry is discovering the absolute power of choices, and the thrill of holding the decision between life or death over others. When he threatens Neville, and Malfoy, it's hackle-raising.

There are other moments when Harry seems to be maturing. Not only does he realize that holding power over someone else is tantalizing, he also rightly fears that power. He turns down Severus' offer to let him top, not wanting to risk the chance that he might enjoy it in the same way he enjoyed pushing Neville to the wall and seeing his fear. He also learns a little about human nature; he not only realizes why Severus is a bastard to Neville after Harry saves his life, he knows that he's right, and doesn't doubt his conclusions, or forget them. He recognizes Severus' pattern of behavior (in typical Harry style-- "Severus always acted like a complete git when he was scared") and works to counteract it, even in the face of Severus' denial.

Harry hasn't miraculously become an adult in a sixteen-year-old's body, though. He has plenty of moments where maturity is not exactly shining through his actions. He tries too hard to simplify Neville's betrayal, and seems unable to convince even himself: his "rationalising" his choices sounded to me like he's trying to convince himself, like he's trying hard to be grown up: "Later that night, as he lay in bed staring up at the shadowed canopy and listening to the whispers of the other boys, Harry thought he knew how she felt. But he thought Ron was right, too. Neville had known what he was doing, and he'd paid the price. That was how things were. Everything came with some kind of price, didn't it?" It feels like he's trying to be adult, he's trying to make everything simple, and it isn't. He's putting off dealing with the fact that his choices have caused extreme reactions, whether direct or indirect, intentional or completely unintended-- who could guess that sleeping with Snape would have any effect on Neville?-- and there's a feeling that Harry's wrestling with "choices" is not over, by any means, and his little "that's that" is not nearly as comforting as he wants it to be. Just because the price is worth paying doesn't mean you don't have to deal with the results.

It's certainly not all moralising and rationalising, though; AWS contains some truly brain-melting sex too. It's "real," and yet sexy too; for once, the characters don't jump into bed and start shagging like mad weasels, and issues come up, and teenage uncertainty, and Harry wasn't born with the complete sexual encyclopedia in his head, even if he has been reading that manual all summer. Neither of them just assume that everything is okay with the other, or that one physical encounter means there will be more. The joy of discovery comes across clearly, though, as do the deeper elements of Harry's feelings. It's not just sex, no matter how wonderful the discovery of hormones is. Severus' feelings are both more subtle, since the reader is never told of them directly, and less-- when he's fumbling with the lid of the painkiller with shaking fingers after Harry's near-miss, it's not hard to see that he feels a lot more for Harry than lust. For that matter, the mere fact that he's willing to do something so "stupid" (in his own words) as have an affair with a student argues that there's more than just a passing attraction there. This is a relationship that's shown, not told.

Dumbledore also shows some surprising new facets in AWS. While the four previous fics made it clear that the Headmaster is perceptive, Dumbledore's importance is ratcheted up several orders of magnitude in AWS. Dumbledore covers for Severus and Harry when rumors hit the press; Dumbledore clearly knows what is going on, but says nothing. His words in "A Most Disquieting Tea," come clearly to mind:
"Oh, Severus. I’m sorry. But these blinders you’re wearing are seriously damaging your teacher-student relations with more people than poor Harry alone, and I felt it was time to call your attention to them.” His twinkling eyes stopped twinkling, and narrowed slightly. “Contrary to the evidence, Severus, I am a great believer in professionalism.”
In the face of that, one must wonder why he says nothing, and turns a blind eye to an affair that has had such far-reaching consequences.

In addition, Dumbledore makes one statement in AWS that is peculiar indeed. "Hatred is a bewildering thing, Harry. I freely confess that after many years on this earth, I still do not understand it…nor do I fully understand love." Coming as it does on the heels of a disastrous Quidditch match, wherein Harry was saved by Severus' protective charm on his broom, those words are intriguing in the extreme. If he does not understand love, why is he protecting Severus and Harry? For that matter, why is he protecting Severus from the wizarding world at large, by allowing him to stay at Hogwarts all these years? In two sentences, Telanu has thrown a huge portion of plot into shadow. Now, not only Harry's motives are suspect, but those of the man in charge, the one who pulls the strings.

A Wizard Song is definitely worth the wait, and with the issues and uncertainties it stirs up, the next story promises to be just as spectacular.

Congratulations, Telanu, and many, many thanks.

Last night I joined hpsquick100 and posted my first drabble ever. Severus/Harry, written for the Christmas challenge, "Deck the..." can be found in this original post, or inside the lj-cut below. If you have anything you'd like to say about it... please do. And I do mean "anything"--I believe in constructive criticism.


Title: Deck the...
Author: oddplaces
Word Count: 100 (MS Word)
Pairing(s): Severus/Harry
Challenge: Christmas
Notes: Not exactly squicky; more like, eccentric kinks and/or humour. This is my first drabble; please suggest anything you think would improve it. I live to learn.


Harry very, very carefully inspected the racks of tinsel on the store shelf, occasionally plucking at a bit of the shiny stuff before moving on. He was, he thought mischievously, being as picky as Uncle Vernon—only his concern wasn’t for the price of the stuff.

That night, Severus thrashed impotently, his wrists secured to the bedframe with hideous, itchy Muggle kitsch. His struggles faded, however, when Harry took him in one smooth stroke, Seeker’s hands roaming across his body. Heated breath lapped over his earlobe as Harry leaned over.

“I told you I’d change your mind about Christmas spirit.”


Happy Christmas, all!

Aha! I promised sonnets, did I not? Well, here is one by fluffyllama, based off of Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130". Now, this is my Snape, and my Harry/Snape: faults that outweigh strengths, but understanding that outweighs faults.

I adore sonnets. I even write sonnets. Therefore, I rec sonnets whenever possible.

"Transport", by venivencere, is absolutely wonderful, with spot-on meter and scintillating rhyme, as well as a very traditional structure.

Expect another sonnet rec soon.

...Have I mentioned that waiting for the next chapter of "Shattered" is causing me to obsessively check the site every couple of hours, think about what will happen next at inappropriate times, compose reviews in my head, and generally go insane?


* Note: Now completed!

Well, I thought I had recced this already, but apparently not. I've a head like a sieve, it seems. ((is shamed)) At any rate, ""Points", by Cluegirl, is unabashed smut (well, it *is* on pornish_pixies!) with an internal Harry monologue that made me giggle at times; it also has a wonderful twisty ending. Don't let the initial premise--Harry come to Snape to make a confession--fool you into ignoring it, because unlike the others you may have read, this Snape has a somewhat less credulous nature... And Harry's not the teary lovestruck dolt you may expect from such a story, either. It's wonderful to find a story where everything doesn't follow the formula, but everything still ends on an upbeat note.